New York Chapter
Meet the New York Huskies new top dawg
The University of Washington Alumni Association and the UW New York Huskies Alumni Chapter are thrilled to announce our newest chair of the Chapter – Kayler Body, ’06.
Kayler earned dual degrees in business administration and political science at UW. When he looks back on his time on campus, he recalls many great memories of his classes, professors, and experiences.
One professor, in particular, played an integral role in Kayler’s journey. Professor Tod Bergstrom was one of the leaders of Kayler’s study abroad trip to Rome in 2005. “Tod was a funny, intelligent and interesting teacher and mentor. He had great academic and professional perspective so we always looked to him for advice early in our careers or in our graduate level education. We still do.”
Kayler and and his wife, Lauren Furgason, ’09, have called New York home since 2013. When he first moved to the East Coast, he wanted UW to continue playing a big role in his life. “Living in Seattle, I sort of took for granted just how much of a presence the UW had in the region.”
Kayler credits the NY Huskies community for providing a sense of familiarity in a new place. “The UW community was so instrumental in helping us transition to life in New York City. There’s a large, diverse alumni base of welcoming and enthusiastic Huskies here in the city. It’s been great.”
When the NY Husky chapter leadership asked Kayler to serve as a Husky Host for their UW Football viewing parties at Feile in 2016, it was one of the easiest decisions he’s ever has made. “It seemed like a great way to give back. Plus, I’m a huge Husky Football fan.”
Kayler’s outstanding, Husky Host-enthusiasm recently caught the eye of ESPN’s College GameDay program. The wildly popular program featured the NY Huskies in September 2017. Over fifty fans packed the place the morning of the UW v. Colorado game to show the world what Purple Pride means!
Beyond his hosting duties, Kayler is passionate about remaining connected to the UW community. His long-standing relationships with faculty and staff help keep him abreast of the latest issues, events, and initiatives affecting our campuses and constituents. As an active member of the UW Alumni Association, Kayler relies heavily on their regular emails and publications as a way to track interesting people and programming in the NY Huskies community and around the world.
As the new chair of the NY Huskies Alumni Chapter, Kayler plans to continue the momentum outgoing co-presidents Danica You-Hamilton, ’04 and Shannon O’Grady, ’07 built over the last five years. “Working with Danica and Shannon has been so great. They’ve always been supportive in helping you see your vision come to fruition.”
With several new initiatives in the works, one of Kayler’s main priorities is engaging more people in chapter activities. “We do a lot of exciting programming but that means needing folks who can lend support and energy to help execute the new ideas”.
Where is an NY Husky to start, though? “Definitely join the New York Huskies Facebook group and get yourself added to the chapter email distribution list. That will help keep you informed of news, events and other activities. If something looks interesting all you have to do is show up or volunteer to help us out.”
“Being a member of this community has been a great experience, no question. From my first BBQ to becoming the chair of the chapter, I’ve always been impressed by everyone’s level of commitment and enthusiasm.” Despite being on the opposite side of the country, being involved in the New York Huskies keeps UW and its community a part of Kayler’s daily life. “Sometimes just sitting in a bar among a crowd in purple and gold makes New York feel a bit closer to ‘home’.”
